Every Puzzle Has an Answer
by FlipperTheProfessor
Summary: Luke Triton and his mentor, Professor Layton are both highly logical. But some things just can't be explained by logic...like magic.
1. Chapter 1

'But there _must_ be a logical explanation!' exclaimed Professor Hershel Layton, stopping his car outside his house.

'I know Professor. Every puzzle has an answer after all!' replied the blue clad boy in the front passenger seat of the Professor's car.

This boy was Luke Triton, and he was nothing out of the ordinary. Well, excluding his extraordinary intelligence for an eleven year old boy. And all the recent strange happenings in the Layton household that seemed to be caused by Luke himself.

Most recently, Luke and Layton had gone in to town to do some shopping. Luke was telling Layton a puzzle he had thought up a few days ago, about a butcher and three dogs, when two burly teenage boys went past. 'Nerds!' the taller of the two boys shouted at Layton and Luke.

Luke swelled with anger. No one called The Amazing Professor Hershel Layton a nerd in front of HIM and got away with it!

Luke ran after the two boys. 'Hey! You two!' he yelled at them. They turned around and laughed. 'Oh, it's Shortstop Nerd! Ahahahaha! What do you want?' one of the two asked.

'Don't you dare call the Professor a NERD in front of ME!' Luke shouted at them.

'Oh yeah? What you gonna do about it?'

Luke struggled to think ofhis next move. Layton looked over his shoulder. 'Luke! Please come back!' he called. Luke ignored him. He balled up his fists and put them in front of his face. The two boys laughed until the tears ran down their faces. 'Stupid little nerd! Like you could fight us!' Layton gave up calling and went back for Luke. Luke was getting more and more frustrated at those horrible teenagers. His face was getting hot and he was sure he looked a fool. The boys kept laughing...when suddenly Luke let out a huge shout: 'STOP LAUGHING AT ME YOU IDIOTS!' The laughter was getting louder and louder until it morphed into deep cry for help. Luke looked up. The bullies were flailing their arms around and floating into the air.

'WUH-WHOA!' the boys cried. 'Let us down!' The two boys floated into a nearby tree just as Layton caught up with Luke. Both Layton and Luke's expressions were shocked. 'Professor, I-I didn't...I mean,' stammered Luke. Luke didn't believe it. What had happened? He didn't understand.

'My boy, it is quite alright. We must ask someone to help us get these two ungentlemanly buffoons down, though,' Layton replied, placing a comforting hand on Luke's shoulder.

'I'll go get help,' Luke murmured, running into the nearest shop.

When Luke had apologised, he and the Professor drove home, still confused about exactly what had happened.


	2. Letters

Luke was sitting at the tble in Professor Layton's dining room, pushing his pork chop around.

"What's wrong, my boy? Are you not hungry?" the Professor asked, an expression of concern on his face. Luke shook his head.

"There's something on your mind, Luke. Am I correct?" Layton was now smiling at the boy curiously. Luke sighed.

"Yes, Professor, you are correct. I'm just thinking...how did those boys just fly up into the air? It seemed to be me causing it but that isn't possible!" Luke stroked his chin the way a man would stroke his beard. This had been troubling him since the event. And there had been so many more events like this...running at super speed from a _very_ angry dog a few weeks ago, a cup of Oasis Berry tea appearing to him when he was particularly stuck on a puzzle...

He finished his food, excused himself and went upstairs to tidy his room. Boring chores always took his mind off of things.

Several hours later, there was no more cleaning to be done (anywhere). Luke checked his watch. It was about ten past ten. He went into his freshly cleaned room and put on his pyjamas. He tried to read a book, but he just couldn't concentrate on anything what with the whole "flying bully" issue. Frustrated, he turned his bedside lamp off and tried to sleep.

His dreams were filled with flying people.

The next morning, he woke before the Professor. There was sunlight streaming through a crack in the curtains. Luke rubbed his eyes and got out of bed. The sun had illuminated everything with bright white light and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was proper July weather. He grinned broadly and went to get washed and dressed. He decided we would wait for the Professor to wake up before having his breakfast and strolled outside to collect the post.

Before taking the bundle of letters inside he sifted through them: bill, bill, flyer, a letter from an Amelia Rhinestone, who was presumably requesting the Professor's help with a mystery and a letter in a heavy, yellow parchment envelope adressed to-_Mr Luke Triton_! He ran inside withthe letter. The Professor was sitting at the table, fully dressed (top hat and all) with a cup of tea in his hand. "Good morning, Luke," he said cheerfully.

"Morning Professor!" Luke chirped. He handed the letters to the Professor, who opened his letters and read through them, mumbling things like "must pay that soon" and "oh, my, that IS interesting". However, when he got to the letter in the yellow parchment envelope, his eyes widened and he looked at Luke.

"Well then, Luke,this letter seems to be yours! Would you like to open it yourself?" Layton chuckled. Luke nodded vigorously and opened the envelope with the letter opener. He unfolded the letter inside and read through it.

_Dear Mr Triton,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all the necessary books and equipment, which can be purchased at Diagon begins on the 1st September. _

_Yours faithfully,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress _

Luke was speechless. Layton smiled. "May I take a look?" he asked. Luke nodded. Layton took the letter. His face went from amused to surprised to confused.

"My word..." was all he could say.


	3. Owls

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or Professor Layton! (i forgot to say that for the last two chapters :P)**

There were several things wrong with this letter. For one, magic just did _not_ exist. For another, where in the world was "Diagon Alley"?

"Well," the Professor sighed. "We may as well check your booklist. Maybe we won't have to go to this Diagon Alley place after all." He took another sheet of parchment from the envelope and started to read.

After just one line, both Luke and the Professor knew that they'd have to go to Diagon Alley. The two sat in silence for another few minutes. "Every puzzle has an answer, eh, Luke?" the Professor chuckled wearily. Luke smiled a little. This was the oddest puzzle they'd encountered.

Luke was just getting up off of his chair to make some tea for himself and the Professor when suddenly, a magnificent tawny owl flew in through the open window of the kitchen. Luke ducked. The owl had an envelope in its beak and was settling on the back of a chair. Layton took the envelope from the bird's mouth, opened it and read the note inside:

_Mr Triton, _

_As you are from a family of Muggles, we at Hogwarts are hoping that you do not know where Diagon Alley is. As such, you shall be picked up from your home at eight o'clock sharp on the morning of the thirtieth of July. _

_Yours sincerely, _

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress _

Luke was trembling with excitement. Though at the same time, he thought this may have just been some elaborate joke. Diagon Alley. Hmm.

But why were they hoping he would not know where Diagon Alley was? And why had he been told that he'd been accepted at Hogwarts even though he hadn't heard of it?

Did it have something to do with the strange events of the day before?

"Wait a minute, Luke," the Professor announced. "What about your place at St Oliver's?"

St Oliver's was a private school with a very good reputation. The waiting list was as long as Big Ben was tall and the Professor had attended St Oliver's himself. Luke had a place there; he had his uniform and books too (which had been very expensive).

"Oh yeah," said Luke. "Maybe we should just wait for the thirtieth of July and sort everything out then."

"I suppose you're right, my boy," the Professor sighed. Luke walked over to the calendar on the kitchen wall to check to mark the thirtieth of July (so he wouldn't forget). The current date was the 24th of July 1971. _6 days left, _Luke thought.


	4. Chapter 4

**Wazzup guys! To anyone who has read or reviewed Every Puzzle Has an Answer, THANK YOU! (I tried to say this the other night in the reviews but on rereading it today, I realised I'd left out about five words) Anyway, I'm really proud of this story and basically the good reviews make me look like this:**./_qzwchLR5l8Y/TQAJ06HBNBI/AAAAAAAAAEY/IjcW9hfP6vU/s1600/10374145_Spongebob_

The thirtieth of July arrived at last. It seemed like six months rather than six days since the letters had arrived to Luke. "Now, now, Luke, a true gentleman always has patience," the Professor would constantly remind the over-excited boy, who was practically wetting himself with excitement. Luke woke up at six o'clock-he was just that excited. He tried to imagine what Diagon Alley would be like as he showered and dressed. Would it be full of ugly green witches and cloaked and bespectacled wizards like those of a fairytale?

Come to think of it, was _he_ going to turn green and sprout a beard? He shuddered at the thought. He was a relatively good looking boy, but what would he look like as a witch or wizard? He giggled a little and skipped downstairs to get breakfast ready. Today seemed like a day for pancakes, which he learned how to make from a woman named Eliza. He had met her last year when he and the Professor went to solve the mystery of the Winged Woman the previous summer (but that's another story).

The Professor woke up to the delicious smell of pancakes and a quiet sizzling noise. He got washed and dressed (finishing off with his trademark top hat, of course) and strolled downstairs, through the hall and into the kitchen. Luke appeared to be cooking breakfast: pancakes, rashers and eggs. "Well, my boy," beamed the Professor. "You seem to have gone all out this morning with the breakfast! Are you still excited for eight o'clock?"

"How could I not be, Professor!" said Luke, looking at the Professor with a huge grin. "Could you get the plates and cutlery down for me please?"

"Certainly, Luke," the Professor replied. He set the table and made the tea for the two of them; this morning he decided on Citrus Classic. Nothing like a cup of Citrus Classic in the morning. Luke served up the breakfast; it was certainly better than last week, when he had burned the scrambled eggs. It had taken seven cups of tea each to take away the bitter, gassy taste.

The Professor gave Luke a puzzle to solve while he ate. By the time they were done he had solved the puzzle ("You drink the contents of the bottle and eat the dates!") and was buzzing with excitement. He checked his watch; still an hour until they'd leave for Diagon Alley. He decided to write a letter to his parents, who were living abroad. He was meant to go with them but he would miss London too much and chose to stay behind.

_Dear Mum and Dad, _

_How are you both? I'm doing fine. You wouldn't believe the week I've had; it's very hard to explain in a letter, but I'll do my best. _

_The Professor and I were out shopping when suddenly, two horrible teenage boys came and started insulting us. I was really, REALLY angry, and somehow the two boys managed to fly into the air and land in a tree. It was so weird. The Professor and an owner of one of the shops got the two boys down but I was really confused afterwards. However, six days ago, I got a letter telling me I'd been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! I guess I won't be going to St Oliver's after all. Anyway, we're going to "Diagon Alley" later on to buy my things for school. _

_Please write back! _

_Your son, Luke _

Luke finished the letter and left in down on his desk. Writing the letter had taken him fifteen minutes. He didn't know what to do until eight o'clock, so he borrowed the Professor's tea set and experimented with the various ingredients. He made a tea with Tonic Flower and Oasis Berry-it was much too bitter, with a sickly sweet aftertaste (strangely enough, he couldn't stop drinking it). He was doing an old sliding puzzle he found in the Professor's study when suddenly, he heard a car pulling up outside the house.

Eight o'clock.

"PROFESSOR! THE CAR'S HERE!" He found himself giggling with excitement. He heard the Professor walking down the stairs. _Hurry up! _he thought. _I've only been waiting the past six days. _As soon as he saw the Professor's foot,he dashed out the door. The window of the car rolled down. "Well, 'ello there. I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, and I'll be escortin' you an' yer guardian to Diagon Alley," said the giant of a man in the front seat of the bright green car.

Rubeus Hagrid's abnormally hairy head brushed the top of the car's high roof and his dark eyes sparkled. "H-hello there," Luke whispered, suddenly shy. "I-I'm Luke Triton." The Professor arrived at the car. "Why hello there sir," said the Professor. "My name is Professor Hershel Layton. I am Luke's guardian. You will be taking us to Diagon Alley, I presume?"

"Yes, Professor Layton-I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. Though I'm not takin' yeh ter Hogwarts. The car is. I'm jus' escortin' yeh." Luke stared at the car,wide-eyed. "Well? Don' jus' stand there gawpin'. Get in!"

**Disclaimer: I do not own Professor Layton or Harry Potter. Well, I own the games and the DVDs and books, but you know what I mean! (I don't own Spongebob either, for that matter).**


	5. Chapter 5

**Bonjour, mes amis! Sorry it took a while to update the story, I'm way too lazy to take out my mam's laptop and write the story :/ **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. You did wait for it after all! :D And don't forget to review and stuff (for every review you leave, a malnourished frog won't go hungry tonight.) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Professor Layton. I also don't know any malnourished frogs.  
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Luke couldn't help feeling that Hagrid looked a little out of place in the car, with his mass of hair and moleskin coat. Luke gingerly stepped into the back seat of the car. And it was only then that he noticed something odd about this car...

There was no one driving it.

Hagrid looked back and smiled at Luke as Layton climbed in beside him. "So, I'm presumin' yeh haven't got any wizard money," said Hagrid.

"You would presume correctly, sir," said Layton sheepishly.

"Well, then, I'd best explain the situation," Hagrid said. "Righ', yeh've goh Galleons, Sickles an' Knuts. Knuts are the least valuable-they're little bronze coins. Then there's Sickles-they're silver- an' Galleons-they're the mos' valuable an' they're made o' gold. There's twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle and seventeen sickles to a Galleon. And if yeh've got Muggle money, yeh can change it at Gringott's, the wizard bank in Diagon Alley. Got all that?" Layton nodded. The car stopped beside a pub with a sign that read "The Leaky Cauldron" over the door. "My word," Layton muttered. "That shop is awfully run down." Luke turned to him. "Shop? Professor, this is a pub! It's called the Leaky Cauldron!"

"Er, fellers, we can't stand around all day. Come on, in we go," Hagrid said, ushering them in. Once they were inside, it became obvious that this was _not_ a run-down old shop. It was indeed a pub and, though dark and shabby, it was filled with people; women gossiping, men laughing, little old ladies reading and a man at a bar shouting for another round of Firewhisky. Luke couldn't help but grin. "Hagrid," he murmured, looking up at him. "Are these people all wizards?"

"They sure are." Luke thought Hagrid smiled, but it was hard to tell because of the hair covering most of his face. "O' course, we're noh gonna be stayin' here long. We've business to attend to." The man working at the bar called Hagrid over, but Hagrid gestured to Luke, telling the barman he was a little preoccupied. The barman nodded and went back to his work (cleaning glasses). Hagrid led Layton and Luke down to the back of the pub and out through a door. They arrived in a small courtyard. Luke felt a chill in the air, though it was a very sunny day. "Now watch this," Hagrid told them. He produced a pink umbrella from his coat and tapped some bricks on the wall.

Luke's eyes widened as he saw what was happening. The bricks seemed to be arranging themselves into a gateway-and through this gateway was Diagon Alley.

It was nothing like Luke or Layton had ever experienced before. There was that loud sound of chatter that always came with a large crowd but mixed in were various animal noises-like screeching owls and mewling cats. The street was cobbled and there were shops covering it in shadows. "Well, first place we gotta go to is Gringotts to change yer money," Hagrid said. He led them down the street towards the towering white building that was Gringotts. Luke felt tinier than ever. He looked over at Layton. He was gazing at the building in astonishment. The men and boy walked up the steps and through a set of bronze doors into the bank.

It was filled with tiny men sitting up at counters that stretched across the length of the marble-paved room. "It's astonishing, isn't it Luke?" Layton muttered.

"It certainly is," Luke replied. "Hagrid, is there something wrong with those people at the counters? They don't seem quite...human."

"They're goblins," Hagrid said. "Awful crafty folk, they are. And keep yer voice down around them, boy. They might think yer insultin' 'em."

"Sir, how do you propose we change our money? I have plenty of normal money here, I just need to change it to your currency," Layton asked Hagrid. Hagrid pointed to a section of the counter on their left with a sign reading "Muggle-Magical Currency Exchange" hanging over it and told them he had to leave to do a spot of shopping for Hogwarts. He went off, followed by glares from some the goblins. Layton strolled over to the currency exchange desk, a roll of paper money in his hand.

"Good day sir," he said to the goblin at the desk. "My apprentice and I would like to exchange some of our-er-Muggle money for magical money-" The goblin leaned over and snatched the money from Layton's hand. He placed it in a machine that looked like three cash registers stuck together-one large and gold, one normal size and silver and a small bronze one-with a toaster on the back. The money went into the toaster-like section and came out of the three cash registers as coins. "Fifty-eight Galleons, nine Sickles and two Knuts. Goodbye." The goblin placed the money into a small bag and thrust the bag into Layton's hand.

"What an un-gentlemanly fellow," Layton murmured angrily as he and Luke left the bank.


	6. Chapter 6

Luke and Layton were on their own now; without Hagrid to help them, they were a little lost. However, this did not dampen Layton's spirits at all he decided that they should look for a shop where could purchase Luke's books. That wasn't too hard, as just a little way up the streets they found a shop named Flourish and Blotts where they had enough for all of Luke's books. However, finding the wand shop was a little trickier, and so the Professor had them try any likely shops until they found the right one. "A simple matter of trial and error, and a little patience," he said calmly.

Half an hour later, the pair finally found Ollivander's and stepped inside. Layton adjusted his hat. "That wasn't so hard now was it Luke?" he said, smiling. Luke raised his eyebrows and laughed nervously.

An old man walked out of the shadows and smiled at Luke and Layton. "Aha," he said. "Hogwarts student, eh? And you must be his father."

"No, sir, he's my-"

"APPRENTICE!" Luke grinned. The man (presumably Mr Ollivander) led them over to a counter and brought out a few long rectangular boxes from the dark back of the shop. "Let's try this first," he said quietly, drawing a wand out from a box. He held it up to the light for a second and looked at in admiration. "Yes, oak, eight and a half inches with dragon heartstring core," he mumbled, handing it over to Luke.

Luke stroked it and smiled. It was a fascinating object, and it puzzled him how simple wood and "dragon heartstring" could create magic. He thought of magicians and went with his instinct. He pointed the wand at the floor and stared at it determinedly. "Abracadabra!" he shouted, hoping that would work. Nothing happened.

Ollivander took the wand out of his hands and replaced it with another one. "Twelve and three quarter inches, rowan, unicorn tail." Luke tried waving the wand without an incantation-and this time, purple sparks flew from the end of it. "Looks like this is the wand for you, my boy," Ollivander smiled at him, took the wand and placed it back in the box. "That'll be seven Galleons, sir."

An hour and a half later, Luke and Layton were sitting outside Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlour. Layton had treated Luke to whatever ice cream he wanted (raspberry and triple chocolate with cream, toffee sauce and rainbow sprinkles) and bought himself a simple cup of tea (though he couldn't resist some of the biscuits on display). "Dirsizgoobicecrum, 'fessah!" Luke mumbled through a mouthful of ice cream.

"A true gentleman never talks with his mouth full, Luke," the Professor chuckled, biting one of his biscuits daintily. "Sorry about that," Luke laughed. "I meant to say this is good ice cream."

"I hope so–it cost quite a lot! How are you liking your new pet?"

Luke had bought a sleek black cat, who currently resided in a pet carrier underneath his chair. Luke was practically bouncing in his seat with excitement. He wouldn't be able to spend another month at home waiting to get to school. He couldn't wait to learn spells and meet other wizards. Other wizards. He still hadn't really gotten over that yet. There was another world that he could never have dreamed of around him. It was real, he was a part of it. And he was loving every minute of it.

September the 1st finally came around and Luke was so excited he couldn't eat breakfast. He managed a little tea of course but as soon as he was finished he ran upstairs as fast as possible to transfer his things into one of the Professor's old trunks. He placed Puzzler (the cat) into his carrier and ran downstairs again with his trunk and carrier. "Are you read-" the Professor started before he was interrupted by a loud "YESYESYES!" from Luke. He laughed and the two jumped in the car, ready for the drive to King's Cross station.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry this took so long everyone-I've been so busy with school and I was trying to write a long chapter. Anyway I hope this was worth the wait and remember to review and stuff! (Every time I get a review I smile like a maniac for about five minutes.) **

**Also, this fic is AU and set in the Marauder era. Luke is in the same year as the Marauders. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Professor Layton. **

The Laytonmobile came to a stop outside King's Cross Station. "We're here, Luke," the Professor said to the boy in the passenger seat. Luke was practically bouncing around with excitement-though, surprisingly enough, he'd been rather quiet for most of the journey.

He must have been building up all his energy for that moment, for the speed at which Luke burst out of the car and ran into the station was almost unnatural. Layton chuckled and went after him with Luke's things.

"TO THE PLATFORM!"Luke boomed as soon as Layton had caught up with him. They had received instructions on how to get to Platform 9 3/4 (run through the brick wall between Platforms 9 and 10) and Luke's ticket a few days ago. They strolled over to the wall (well, the Professor strolled; Luke looked more like he was flying). Luke paused for a moment to wait for Layton before going through. The two of them went through at the same time and came out on the other side, on Platform 9 3/4. There was a gleaming scarlet steam engine before them, with the words "Hogwarts Express" written on the front. There was steam coming out of the top of the train. "It's brilliant," Luke beamed.

"Yes, quite so," Layton muttered back. Luke looked up at the Professor. He was really going to miss him until Christmas. "Goodbye Professor," he mumbled into the Professor's shirt, hugging him. "I'm really going to miss you!"

"I'll miss you too, my boy," Layton replied. "I'll see you at Christmas then. Don't forget to write!"

"I won't Professor." Luke pulled back and hopped onto the train.

"Have fun at Hogwarts!" Layton called after him.

Meanwhile Luke was looking for a compartment to sit in on the train. He had just found an empty one when he felt a tap on his shoulder. "Excuse me?" the girl who had tapped him said. She had long brown hair and big brown eyes and was wearing a long sleeved orange dress and tall boots. "Could you help me with something? A boy named Clive has stolen my hair ribbon and I'd be very grateful if you could help me get it back."

"Of course. After all, it is a true gentleman's duty to help a lady in need," he said to the girl. She giggled. "Thank you so much! It was my mother's hair ribbon and I'd really like it back. I look so silly with my hair down."

"So what does this Clive look like?"

"Well, he actually looks a lot like you. He's wearing a blue cap too; he's very tall-compared to you anyway-and he's wearing almost the same clothes as you. Only he's not wearing a jumper, he's wearing a blazer."

With this information, Luke and Flora set off to look for Clive. However, they had barely started walking when Luke heard someone shout at them from the back of the train. "HEY FLOOORA! I HAVE YOUR RIIIIIBBON!"

Clive. Definitely.

Luke looked at the the place the voice was coming from. Blue cap, looked like he could be Luke's brother, same clothes as Luke, with the exception of his blazer-and waving a red ribbon around above his head. "That's Clive!" Flora shouted, and they ran down towards him. He started to run away, laughing, but after a few minutes there was nowhere left to run. He stopped and leaned against a wall, panting. Luke and Flora arrived at the wall. "Hey! Did you take this girl's ribbon?" Luke exclaimed angrily.

"Maybe."

"You did. I saw you with the ribbon."

"And what are _you_ gonna do about it?" Clive held the ribbon over his head, much too high for Luke to reach.

"THIS!" Luke yelled and he started tickling Clive. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and tickling was a hidden skill of his.

Clive started laughing and his arms went down to cover up his ticklish spots, his hand letting go of the ribbon. "Got it!" he said, handing the ribbon over to Flora. "I'd better be off-I need to and find a compartment." Flora tied her hair up with the ribbon and waved goodbye.

Luke started walking off to look for a place to sit, and finally found an empty compartment. He slid the door open and sat down. The couches were soft and the view from the window, although slightly blurred, was spectacular. This was nice.

There was a light tap on the glass door of the compartment and Luke slid the door open.

"Flora? What are you doing here?"

"You're the only person I know here aside from Clive. So I decided to sit with you-is that okay?"

"I suppose so," Luke sighed.

"Thank you!" she said, stepping into the compartment and sitting down on the sofa opposite Luke. "You know, I never thanked you for helping me out that time. And although you seem to know my name from Clive, I never did find out your name."

"It's Luke, Luke Triton," Luke grinned.

"And mine is Flora Reinhold."

"So...were your parents magic?"

"No, at least not as far as I know. My Mama died when I was small, and my Papa is very sick now. The village's doctor is trying his very best to make him better but he's not improving much."

So that's why she was so upset about losing her mother's ribbon. Luke had presumed that it was because she "looked silly with her hair down" and that she was just vain or shallow. But it was because it was her dead mother's. "That's sad. It makes me feel lucky to have my parents and the professor."

"The professor? Who's that?"

Luke was about to tell Flora about the professor and how they's become friends when there was a knock on the compartment door.

It was Clive.


	8. Chapter 8

"Hey," Clive said, banging on the door. "Open up." He had a mischievous grin on his face, which was pressed right against the door.

Luke stood up, faced Clive and crossed his arms. "Why?" he asked. "Give me two reasons."

"One, everywhere else is full, two, I don't have money for food and I've got a feeling you guys do and three, one is a lie and I actually like both of y-oh wait, I can just open this door myself!" Clive lifted his foot up and slid the door over with it. He walked in casually, with a smug expression. "And that is what I like to call 'having long legs and talent'." Luke grimaced and sat back down. Flora looked annoyed.

Clive flopped onto the couch beside Luke and spread his arms out over the back of the seat. "So," he sighed. "Whatcha talking about?"

"We were just talking about ourselves-me and Luke are getting to know each other," Flora explained.

"Well then, let me introduce myself. I'm Clive Amsel-Bishop. I'm German on my mother's side, English on my father's. I live in an apartment in London, opposite a lab. I don't have any brothers or sisters. My favourite colour is green. That's all I can really think of for now." He scratched his chin. "Why don't we all do the same as I did? Do a long introduction, like."

"I like that idea," Flora chirped. "Can I go next?"

"Sure, alright," Luke mumbled. He was starting to actually like Clive.

"Okay. I'm Flora Reinhold. I'm pretty sure my family are all English, but some of the servants at home are American, so I sort of got their accent from growing up around them."

"You have servants? You must be positively swimming in money then! Unlike me in my grotty apartment."

"My dad's a baron, so that's why we have so much money. My mama died a long time ago-I was only three or so at the time. My papa's sick and he's not showing any signs of getting better but I'm praying he will. I've had a stepmother since I was small-Lady Dahlia. She's very kind to me though I've never liked her much because she's so sharp with the servants. I've never been outside St Mystere (that's the village I live in) so this all sort of new for me. I've never been in a train before. I like it though. I'm an only child too. Oh, and my favourite colour is pink."

"That was interesting. And now it's Luke's turn," Clive said, looking over at Luke.

"Well," Luke began, clearing his throat. "My name is Luke Triton. I live in a small village called Misthallery, but I was born in London and lived there until I was seven-which explains my accent. I've spent every summer in London since I was nine though. I stay with Professor Layton while I'm in London. He's an archaeology professor at Gressenheller University. Sometimes we even solve mysteries!"

"You solve mysteries? That sounds like so much fun! I've always wanted to be a detective or something," Flora sighed.

"It's pretty interesting, that's for sure. Though my favourite part of solving mysteries has to be the puzzles we encounter along the way. No one's as good at puzzles as the Professor, but I think I'll be as good as him someday. And I can talk to animals."

"Talk to animals? I don't believe you. Let's see you talk to the cat," Clive said. Luke picked Puzzler's cage up from underneath the seat and started making mewling noises. "I asked if he thinks you're annoying," Luke told Clive with a smirk.

The cat let out a loud meow. "He says 'just a little bit'."

Clive made a very strange face.


End file.
